In the art of barrier operator systems, such as upward acting garage door operators and gate operators, there has been a continuing need to improve the operating characteristics of such systems with respect to control and interaction between the operator system and persons using the facility at which the operator system is installed.
For example, in commercial and residential motor operated garage doors and the like, the operator control systems rely on human interaction to effect opening and closing of the door. However, in residential garage door installations, in particular, it is not unusual for persons using the garage door to forget whether or not the door is closed. Certainly, if a person opens the garage door and then drives away in their vehicle without closing the door, the security of the premises at which the door is installed has been compromised. The same is true for the situation wherein a person has returned to the garage, opened the door, driven their vehicle into the garage and then failed to close the door.
The aforementioned circumstances are just two of many event situations or states at which the failure of proper human interaction with the door operator system produces an unwanted result. Accordingly, there has been a need to develop an automatic garage door or other barrier operator system which overcomes problems associated with inadvertent failure to close or open a door, when needed, and provides the convenience of automating the operation of the door or a similar barrier. It is to these ends that the present invention has been developed.
The present invention provides an automatic barrier operator system, particularly adapted for automatic operation of opening and closing a motor operated door or gate, such as a commercial or residential garage door, for example.
In accordance with one important aspect of the present invention an automatic barrier operator system is provided which utilizes a radio frequency transmitter and receiver system wherein a so-called base receiver and transmitter are operably associated with a base controller unit for controlling operation of a motor operator to move a door between open and closed positions. At least one remote, radio frequency control unit is associated with the system in such a way that when the remote control unit is outside of a certain range or distance from the base unit, the door or other barrier automatically moves from an open position to a closed position, for example.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an automatic garage door operator system is provided which takes into account the door condition, whether it is open or closed, the previous operating mode whether or not it was automatic or manual, the location of one or more remote control units, namely whether they are within a predetermined range of the base unit or outside of a predetermined range, and whether or not the system detects the presence of an obstruction in the doorway.
Accordingly, the present invention also provides an automatic barrier operator system which includes a controller which is adapted to detect the presence of a remote operator control unit by sending an RF query signal to the remote control unit or units. If a remote control unit is within a predetermined range, it is activated to answer and, depending on the previous state of the door or barrier, the door or barrier is operated to move to an open position, for example. If the transmitter of the base controller fails to receive a response signal from at least one remote control unit after a predetermined number of queries, for example, and the door or barrier is in an open condition, then the door or barrier is closed, depending on what event placed in the door or barrier in the open position.
The present invention also provides a barrier operator system and a method for operating a door or gate which takes into account the state of the operator based on a previous event which moved a barrier such as a door or gate to an open or closed position, the location (in range or out of range) of one or more remote or portable control units and the previous inputs to the operator base unit which resulted in the present state of the door or gate. Thus, the present invention provides a barrier operator system and method which takes into account what type of event placed the door or similar barrier in its present state, the location of one or more remote control units and the last event or action input received from a remote control unit or a stationary or so-called wall mounted control unit near the barrier.
Those skilled in the art will further appreciate the above-mentioned advantages and superior features of the invention together with other important aspects thereof upon reading the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the drawings.